KARACHI: The business community has suggested a cut down in sales tax from 17 to 5 percent, which according to them would result in the increase of tax revenue.

Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) president Zakaria Usman said that according to FBR officials the government gets only 3.5 percent on account of 17 percent sales tax, as the remaining amount goes in refund, adjustment and corruption.

In this backdrop, FPCCI has advised the government to slash the sales tax from 17 percent to 5 percent, which would not only enhance the purchasing power of the people by 10 percent, but would also increase the sales tax receipts to over Rs1300 billion from Rs1000 billion besides it would help meet the IMF condition also.

He said that according to FBR 1.5 million retailers are paying sales tax amounting to Rs1000 billion annually, while if on average Rs3000 fixed tax was recovered from each of the retailers every month, the tax revenue would go up significantly, he asserted.

EATONTOWN: A New Jersey family whose terrier-pit bull mix escaped from their backyard during Superstorm Sandy went to an animal shelter this week to adopt a new pet and came home with their old dog.

Chuck James tells The Associated Press that his family searched for the brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm before finally giving up hope.

"We reported him missing and called the shelters periodically, just hoping they had him," James said Saturday. "We always kept our hopes up, but eventually it's time to move on."

James said the family had planned in recent weeks to get a new dog as a 10th birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally.

But when the family of five went to the Monmouth County SPCA on Thursday to adopt a new animal, James and his wife approached the first cage and saw a familiar face inside.

"He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was laying on my wife's feet, and I knew it was him. ... I was in disbelief. I know this dog is meant to be with our family."

When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent over a picture showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the Jersey shore.

"We're all so happy to have him back," James said. "Thank God for no-kill shelters because every time they kill an animal, it's somebody's friend who might be lost. Thank God they didn't put him down because this would have been a different story."

SPCA officials say Reckless was picked up as a stray and has now been microchipped.

The family is living in a hotel while their storm-damaged Keansburg home is repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.

BEIJING: Six people were wounded in a knife attack at a train station in China on Tuesday, police said, the latest in a string of violent episodes at public transport hubs.

Police shot one of the attackers at the train station in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, the city´s public security bureau said in a statement on its microblog, adding all six injured had been hospitalised.

KABUL: An Afghan official says a roadside bombing has killed three policemen and wounded two in the country´s western Herat province.

District police chief Shir Agha Alokozay says the attack took place in the province´s Obe district on Tuesday morning, when the police vehicle the officers were riding in hit the roadside bomb.

Alokozay says the bomb was set off by a remote control device and that the police have caught a suspect with the remote control.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Afghan security forces are frequently targeted by insurgents and violence has intensified in the country as most international troops prepare to withdraw at the end of the year.

ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that country’s top judge had nothing to do with the elections.

The former CJP said it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan to appoint Returning Officers (ROs) adding that he did not want to respond to useless allegations being made.

Justice (retd) Chaudhry emphasised the importance of the judiciary and defence institutions saying talks of a clash between them should not be taking place. The former CJP further said that a strong foundation for democracy had been laid in the country and there was no threat to it.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday restored Muhammad Ilyas as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector.

The former test cricketer had assumed the additional charge of PCB Chief Selector last year after the resignation of Iqbal Qasim. PCB Chairman Najam Sethi had removed Ilyas from the position on February 13 and given the post of chief selector to Aamer Sohail.

The IHC issued its order on a petition filed by Muhammad Ilyas against his dismissal today (Tuesday). Moin Khan had been appointed as the chief selector by the current PCB board.

Speaking to Geo News, Muhammad Ilyas said he had not received the court order and would announce his future course of action soon.